31 August 2026 | Kibi, Eastern Region
The Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL) expresses its deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by the tragic collapse of a mining pit at Asaman Tamfoe in the Atewa East District, which has reportedly claimed the lives of seven miners, while four others are feared trapped underground.
As citizens of the Atewa landscape, we are deeply saddened by this loss of human lives. At the same time, we are compelled to raise a broader concern: the crisis facing the Atewa landscape is no longer only about environmental degradation; it is increasingly a crisis of human safety, water security and community survival.
OUR STREAMS ARE BEING LOST
CCAL’s concern is reinforced by evidence emerging from our ongoing Zonal Coordinators Monitoring System (ZOCOMOS).
Through ZOCOMOS, CCAL’s Zonal Coordinators are mapping, documenting and monitoring streams originating from the Atewa Forest landscape and flowing through surrounding communities.
Among the waterways currently being mapped and captured are River Tamfoe, River Kobeng, Yoyoo River, Asuonwunu River, Obeng River, River Gyapomadua, Senkye and River Kaakaabe, as well as several other streams still being identified and documented.
Our ongoing field observations indicate that several of these streams are heavily impacted by illegal mining activities, with visible pollution, sedimentation and degradation of their natural channels.
CCAL is also collecting water samples from selected streams for assessment of their water quality, as part of our effort to generate credible evidence on the condition of these lesser-known waterways.
These findings are deeply concerning.
These streams are not merely features on a map. They are water sources for communities, support agriculture and livelihoods, and form part of the ecological system sustained by the Atewa Forest.
FROM COLLAPSED PITS TO POLLUTED STREAMS
The Asaman Tamfoe tragedy and the degradation of these waterways must not be treated as unrelated events.
On one hand, unsafe mining practices are exposing people to dangerous and potentially fatal working conditions.
On the other, the same mining activities are destroying streams, degrading land and threatening the water security of communities.
A collapsed mining pit is a threat to human life. A polluted stream is a threat to community life. Both demand urgent attention.
CCAL therefore believes that the Asaman Tamfoe tragedy must trigger a much broader examination of mining activities across the Atewa landscape.
CCAL CALLS FOR ACTION
We call on the Government and all relevant institutions to:
- Complete the rescue and recovery operation at Asaman Tamfoe and provide appropriate support to the affected families.
- Conduct a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the pit collapse and make the findings public.
- Identify and secure dangerous mining pits, including abandoned and previously worked sites, to prevent further loss of life.
- Strengthen enforcement against illegal and unsafe mining operations throughout the Atewa landscape.
- Protect streams and community water sources from further destruction and pollution.
- Support scientific testing of polluted waterways identified through community-level monitoring and ensure the results inform environmental enforcement.
- Recognise and utilise credible community-generated environmental data, including information emerging through CCAL’s ZOCOMOS, in environmental decision-making.
- Accelerate the reclamation of degraded mining areas and ensure that affected communities participate meaningfully in the process.
CCAL RENEWS ITS CALL ON PARLIAMENT
CCAL further calls on the Chairman and members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Petitions to expedite action on the petition submitted concerning the protection of the Atewa Forest landscape.
The continued destruction of streams, degradation of forest resources and now the loss of lives in mining-related incidents reinforce the urgency of the concerns raised in the petition.
The Atewa Forest and its water systems cannot wait indefinitely for action.
CCAL respectfully urges Parliament to give the petition the urgency it deserves and advance the necessary processes towards stronger and permanent protection of the Atewa landscape.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. ZANETOR AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS
CCAL also extends its sincere congratulations to Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings on assuming office as Minister for Environment, Science and Technology. She was approved by Parliament and sworn into office on 29 August 2026.
We welcome the Minister at a critical moment for Ghana’s environmental sector and, particularly, for the Atewa landscape.
CCAL notes with interest the Minister’s stated commitment to a coordinated, all-of-government approach to tackling illegal mining and environmental crimes.
We therefore look forward to constructive engagement with the Ministry and encourage the new Minister to give particular attention to Atewa’s forests, streams, biodiversity and the communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on them.
OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE
Gold must never be worth more than a human life.
And no community should be forced to sacrifice its water, forests, land and future for short-term mineral extraction.
The people of the Atewa landscape are watching. We are documenting. We are monitoring. And we will continue to speak for the protection of the natural resources upon which our communities depend.
CCAL calls for action—not tomorrow, but now.
Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL)
Kibi, Eastern Region, Ghana
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com
